


Someday My Prince Will Come

by hollywoodproblems



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, Arguments, Awkward Romance, Day At The Beach, Disney AU, Disney World & Disneyland, Love at First Sight, M/M, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn, car makeouts, souai, soutori - Freeform, we're literally going to tell you their whole lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollywoodproblems/pseuds/hollywoodproblems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke had a simple if not solitary life, working as a mechanic at the Happiest Place On Earth and spending his time tending the house plants of his tiny apartment. He didn't know he was waiting for his prince to come until, one day, he did. A story about Sousuke and Nitori working together at Disney World and slowly falling in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea Laina and I have been kicking around for a long time- we just felt like Sousuke and Nitori were both characters that deserved so much more attention and love, so we decided to plop them in this happy little au and give them the development we always wanted. Disclaimer that we don't know much about actually working at Disney and you're going to have to lend us some leniency but we promise if you do you're really going to love this soutori slow burn. ;) Enjoy!  
> ~Pallais

                He could smell the rain before it began, the humidity in the air reminding him of his time spent on the beach. He had been moved from the ride’s controls out to the front of the line, occasionally warning those who entered that there was no food or drink allowed and their strollers should be parked to the right of the entrance. It was dull, monotonous work but no more so than usual- he actually was somewhat enjoying the change of pace, not usually in a position outdoors or interacting with other people. Even so, it was a slow day, probably because of the threatening grey clouds on the horizon, and Sousuke found himself retracting into his thoughts like usual.

                He peered around the square, watching parents furrow their brows at maps, little girls dressed as princesses sharing Mickey-shaped ice cream, and babies curled around stuffed Winnie the Pooh’s dozing in their strollers. He eyed the line of the Peter Pan ride across from his own, comparing the estimated wait time on the cartoon clock at the beginning of the line to the clock he stood beside, rooting for his ride to be faster in the way that boredom encourages one to turn anything into a contest.

                Giant drops of water were beginning to smack onto the dark pavement all around the square sending guests scrambling to duck into restaurants and gift shops, several hopping into his line just to kill time until the rain passed. Sousuke leaned out from beneath his awning to peer up at the dark sky: it didn’t seem to him like the storm would pass any time soon. He checked his watch and sighed, realizing he’d be out in that weather soon when his shift got off. The concrete hissed beneath the downpour and a gust of wind blew by- suddenly, in the distance, he heard a small cry of struggle.

                Sousuke snapped his head up and squinted into the mist, searching for the source of the sound. In the distance at the edge of the square he saw a familiar young man, struggling with a large bunch of Mickey shaped balloons in the storm. Before really realizing what he was doing Sousuke found himself jogging towards the figure, barely feeling the rain pounding against his skin as he hurried to help. The young man blinked in surprise when the balloons were plucked from his hands but nodded when Sousuke gestured to follow him, the pair jogging back to his awning together.

                Once out of the rain, the balloon man braced his hands on his knees and gulped air, clearly relieved; Sousuke carefully tied the bunch of balloons to the post marking the beginning of the line and ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to shake out the water.

                “Thank you-!”

                The young man finally panted out, lifting his head to flash the dark haired man a brilliant smile.

                “I thought I was gonna blow away out there!”

                Sousuke eyed the balloon man without offering a response. This wasn’t the first time their paths had crossed: for months now the balloon man had been everywhere, it seemed. No matter what ride Sousuke was working the balloon man was never far away, and he had been spending more and more time watching the young man. He wasn’t extremely remarkable: he was very cheerful about his work- but it _was_ Disney World after all, cheeriness was part of the job, and appearance-wise his build was petite with bright blue eyes.

                Their worlds were very different- the balloon man spent his day out on the concrete laughing and chattering with guests as he passed out balloons while Sousuke the engineer spent his time crawling through the underbellies of rides to tinker with wiring, being summoned by radio all over the park to hurry and get a ride up and running again, or pressing ‘stop’ and ‘go’ on an attraction over and over again. They had no reason to acknowledge one another. Yet each day Sousuke slinked by in a hurry, the keys attached to his heavy work belt jingling with every clunky step, the balloon man would offer a balloon out to him with a shy smile and no words and he wasn’t sure why, but he would take it from him, peering at the young man momentarily before hurrying on his way. The situation made no sense to Sousuke, and it made him uncomfortable now to be standing with the man he had been sharing- something?- with, without even knowing his name or having ever spoken to him.

                Left without a response but seemingly undeterred the balloon man commented with a wink,

                “You can have a free balloon, of course- for helping me~….”

                Sousuke shoved his hands in his pockets, grumbling,

                “You’ve probably given me $100 in free balloons at this point…”

                He regretted it the instant he said it, his words coming out a little more blunt than he intended- as usual…. He didn’t want those words to be the first thing he said to the kind- if not overly cheerful- balloon man. Logically, he should have started with his name. He peeked over at the man from the corner of his eye.

                “Sousuke.”

                The young man blinked and Sousuke again was kicking himself for his lack of communication skills, adding on lamely,

                “…my name.”

                He could feel his ears growing warm but the balloon man flashed another brilliant smile.

                “Oh- Sousuke! I’m Nitori.”

                “Nitori.”

                He tested the name out quietly as the balloon man had done with his own, somewhat relieved to finally have something to call the young man.

                “So…”

                Nitori was bouncing on the balls of his feet, obviously wanting the older man to face him again, shaking out his hair cutely.

                “Are you a ride operator?”

                Sousuke angled himself more towards Nitori but hesitated to meet his eye, still feeling awkward, and explained,

                “I’m an engineer who fixes the rides when they break down- but when everything’s working fine, they have me do normal stuff like ride operation or front of line…”

                He gestured to where they were standing, noting that Nitori looked more interested in what he was saying than necessary, nodding along with pink lips forming an ‘o’.

                “An engineer? That’s amazing! No wonder you always seem so busy.”

                Sousuke crossed his arms, his soaked uniform beginning to make him cold, and eyed Nitori somewhat suspiciously. He didn’t see what was so ‘amazing’ about being a mechanic, and he was tired of talking about himself.

                “You sell balloons.”

                It wasn’t really a question because obviously he knew the answer and it was a lame thing to say but he didn’t know much else about the young man to bring up. Nitori rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish.

                “Well, I…”

                He suddenly laughed nervously, nodding his head.

                “Yeah, I sell balloons.”

                He crossed his arms behind his back, turning to peer out at the rain.

                “I guess it’s pretty lame, but I do enjoy talking to the little kids and stuff.”

                He was smiling to himself as he stared out at the rain and Sousuke found himself staring a bit too- Nitori was at work, soaked to the bone, being forced to talk to some lump like Sousuke- how could he be so cheery? Suddenly, a little entranced, he asked the balloon man quietly,

                “Why did you give me all those balloons?”

                Nitori jumped, cheeks turning red, and he hung his head to look down at his feet.

                “Well… I guess… I’d see you rushing by all the time and…”

                He peeked up through his eyelashes.

                “You looked lonely. I wanted to help.”

                Sousuke felt his ears burning and quickly looked away from Nitori’s cute expression, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. This guy was….weird. Why did it matter whether or not he was lonely, why did this balloon man care? Sousuke didn’t think he was really a _nything_ besides occasionally grumpy with how often the Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World ride broke down, and a free balloon definitely couldn’t fix that. He appreciated the thought, though- even if he didn’t understand why he had been spared the thought in the first place…

                Sousuke was shaken from his thoughts when Nitori exclaimed, pointing up at the sky,

                “Look, it’s letting up!”

                The engineer narrowed his eyes up at the grey clouds, commenting

                “It won’t last long.”

                “Then now’s my chance!”

                Nitori flashed a grin before carefully untying his bunch of balloons and smoothing out his damp uniform. He carefully pulled one silky string from the bunch, announcing in a cheery falsetto,

                “Here you go, young man, you can have a red one to match your sharp bow tie!”

                Sousuke felt his face grow warm, unsure exactly what was going on as the balloon man began tying the string around his wrist, voice still too loud and fake.

                “Here, I’ll tie it around your wrist so you don’t lose it- careful now!”

                Nitori straightened to grin widely up at the engineer, who was feeling a little mortified. ‘Young man’? Was there really a balloon tied to his wrist right now? He had always hated the bowtie he had to wear when he was functioning as a regular cast member but now more than ever he felt like it was choking him.

                The balloon man shielded his eyes and scanned around the courtyard at the dying drizzle, announcing,

                “Looks like I gotta run!”

                He clutched his bunch of balloons tightly and ducked out from beneath the awning, calling over his shoulder with a wide smile as he scurried away,

                “See you around, Sousuke!”

                The engineer watched balloon man scamper off, feeling a little dazed. That guy was strange. He wondered if the Disney cheeriness had gotten to Nitori’s head or something- why else would he be so ridiculously happy? And why had Sousuke become his target of all people? He didn’t really care either way, but it _was_ pretty embarrassing having a balloon presented to him like that. He hastily untied the red Mickey balloon from his wrist and attached it to the post instead, wondering vaguely as he eyed the red balloon whether he should do something in return.

                By now Nitori had definitely given him at least $100 worth of free balloons, though he hadn’t asked for any of it- what did he even have to offer in return? It’s not like he had any free merchandise to give- he supposed he could take Nitori on one of the rides after hours, people seemed to think that was a treat, although he wasn’t sure he wanted to be alone with him like that. It seemed kind of weird, especially considering how unpredictable the balloon man was.

                A family approached with a stroller and it gave Sousuke an excuse to put Nitori out of his mind, directing the group where to park with as little enthusiasm as was allowed at the Happiest Place on Earth. He wasn’t looking to make friends and he hadn’t asked for any of the attention so he wasn’t going to spare the effort of trying to pay Nitori back. Maybe he’d say hello the next time they ran into each other, now that he knew his name- but maybe that was a little much, too. Suddenly he felt kind of grumpy- he hated trying to work out social etiquette, especially for someone who he had suddenly decided was kind of annoying. Who was Nitori to decide if some stranger was lonely or not? He was pretty arrogant to be pitying other people like that. And anyway, he wasn’t lonely, he was alone- there was a difference. Sousuke _liked_ being alone, and if anything, Nitori had only served as a reminder of that.

                Sousuke frowned up at the balloon a moment, realizing he really couldn’t pin this guy down very well: was he kind, or just kind of annoying? Either way he figured this was likely the end of the balloon man’s strange interest in him, the short conversation probably boring enough for Nitori to get the idea that his attention was better spent on someone else. It was for the best- and Sousuke was just relieved to have gotten the closure of finally knowing the balloon man’s name; now he could return to the simplicity of his solitude, sinking into the easiness of racing the Peter Pan line and reminding families that no food or drinks were allowed on the ride.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A deal is made between the engineer and the vendor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry, it's been longer than we expected with posting the second chapter--it's totally my bad, haha. Any who, Pallais and I are so excited about the feedback we've been getting, and we're really glad you guys have been reading and commenting and throwing kudos our way. ^__^ Well, I won't take up much more of your time; let's get down to business! ~Laina

            The week rolled by without much excitement.

            As per usual, the rides needed tinkering—something was broken in Fantasyland, something was squeaking in Tomorrowland—and Sousuke had been glad for the distraction. A particular balloon vender had been absent for the entirety of the week, which allowed him to bask in silence and the small victory of him being right.

            Their short stint during the rainstorm has been nothing more than the end of a passing interest. Surely, the silver-haired man had grown bored and had moved on to better, more interesting people.

           Sousuke was sure of it.

            Days later, the thick, rolling clouds that hung menacingly over Disney finally began to dissipate. Clear plastic ponchos were rolled up and tucked away into shoulder bags, the persistent park-goers trading them in for layers of sunscreen and sweaty, sunny clothing. Spilled ice cream melted into the pavement at the fronts of cafes and restaurants and the water-themed rides, much to Sousuke’s annoyance and relief, continued to break down, spiting the lines of people looking for a reprieve from the heat.

            Sousuke clambered out from behind the ride engine, absently wiping the sweat from his forehead on his shoulder. “There,” he huffed, eyeing the machinery suspiciously. "Should be good for a while.”

            The young ride attendant snapped his gum, sighing. “Thanks, man.”

            Sousuke merely nodded, grabbing at the Walkie-Talkie at his hip. “Pirates of the Caribbean’s all fixed up.”

            There was static on the other end, followed by a garbled, “Good job.”

            The engineer shuffled reluctantly at the edges of the ride, rather enjoying the shade that the cavernous entrance cast over him. “Mind if I take my lunch break?”

            “Uh…. Yeaaaah….” His supervisor fumbled with something on the other line. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll have someone cover Adventureland for you, alright? I’ll send someone over.”

            “Thanks.”

            “Yap. Stay cool.”

            The haul from Adventureland to the small break room where the engineer’s left their belongings wasn’t too terrible—Sousuke quickly gathered his small lunch box and thermos, wandering around the crowded streets a bit before settling on the steps of Cinderella's iconic palace, the plaster and concrete looming over him and keeping him cool.

            His sandwich wasn’t melted or soggy, the water in his thermos had managed to stay cold, and he knew a cigarette was waiting for him afterwards, the carton buried under chips and plastic baggies. Everything was right in the world; everything was as it should be.

            “Well, well, fancy seeing you here.”

            Sousuke’s lips formed a tight line, the food in his mouth suddenly feeling like too much for him to swallow.

            He peered up at the short vendor before him, his hands tightly coiled around dozens of balloons. If Sousuke didn’t know any better, he’d have thought they were enough all together to carry the smiling man away. Somehow, the thought of it wasn't too bad, either.

            Sousuke swallowed quickly, clearing his throat. “Hey.”

            Nitori’s smile widened, as if he hadn’t expected an answer from the engineer. With a fake bravado, he pulled a Mickey balloon from the bunch, holding it out and bellowing, “Here, young man! You look a little lost. A balloon for your troubles?”

            It was hardly a question—they’d gone down this road enough times now to know he’d be going home with another free keepsake.

            Still, Sousuke stared at the balloon man, eyebrows creasing. He needed to be firm, he needed to put his foot down. “No, thanks.”

            “Oh, please, young man,” Nitori sighed dramatically, bowing slightly. With a giggle, he peeked up through his bangs, even going so far as to bat his eyelashes. “Won’t you take it?”

            Sousuke blinked.

            He had thought they were over this. There was some mutual understanding that the vendor apparently couldn’t keep track of, it seemed—Nitori was supposed to forget about Sousuke, they were supposed to leave one another behind in that rainstorm.

           A quieter, less-confident, "Won't you?" followed, Nitori worrying his lip as he waited for his answer.

            _No_.

            The word was forming on his tongue, readying itself to pass over his lips. All he had to do was say it.

            Sousuke took a deep breath, but nothing came out. Instead, he conceded, holding his hand out to take the balloon from the vendor, disappointment in himself washing over him as he stared at his lap and willed the vendor away.

            When he looked up again, he heard a soft giggle and was confused to find Nitori still there, rocking from heel to toe, glancing down at him expectantly.

            “Mind if I sit with you?”

            _Kind of_. “No….”

            With a dramatic sigh, Nitori plopped down on the stone steps beside Sousuke, wrapping the tethers around his wrist and removing his white cap.

            “It’s really hot out, isn’t it?”

            “Yeah,” the engineer drew, eyes roaming quickly over the vendor. “Your uniform looks especially awful.” He shook his head. "I mean, they look hot, sweaty...you know...."

            Nitori laughed, resting his chin in his palm. “Yeah, it's usually pretty cute, but…I don't think I'd mind being someone like Ariel right about now.” There was a dreamy, far-away look in the vendor’s eyes. Sousuke worried the inside of his cheek, suddenly a little concerned for the vendor’s wellbeing.

            “How long’ve you been out here?”

            “Since nine.” Nitori shrugged. “Not that long.”

            “And, you’ve been…drinking water and everything…right?” He didn’t want to wish sunstroke or dehydration on the poor man, but it would certainly explain why he’d bothered trying to talk to Sousuke again. He was delirious, obviously. He had to be.

            Nitori laughed, shaking his head. “I’m fine, I’m fine. If I didn’t know any better, it might sound like you’re a little worried about me.”

            Sousuke shook his head at the teasing tone, pausing and frowning at the string in his hands. “…You shouldn’t give me these anymore.”

            It was abrupt and cold and brought Nitori’s melodic laughter to a halt. The balloon man said nothing, only staring and waiting for Sousuke to continue.

            “I just….” He was floundering now, and, shit, why had he said it so harshly? He hadn’t meant for it to be cruel or mean. “I should pay for these…o-or something.”

            His eyes flicked up to Nitori’s, expecting some kind of fire in return. Perhaps he’d argue with him, perhaps he’d storm away—anything was fine, except for crying. He couldn’t handle the small man crying.

            Instead, little lips quirked up, a small smile forming on Nitori’s face as he gazed off at the people milling below them. “You don’t have to _pay me_. I told you, I do it because I want to. Because you look—.”

            “Yeah, I know, but...” Sousuke interjected, not wanting to be told twice in the same week that he looked abhorrently lonely. He sighed, a little annoyed. He had never asked for the attention, never wanted to deviate from his comfortable, solitary routine. “I don’t know, I just don’t think….”

            _I don’t want them, or your pity._

_I don’t need them, _or your kindness.__

_I don’t deserve them anyways._

            Nitori sighed loudly and suddenly, the slightly irritated noise surprising Sousuke. He blinked down at Nitori as the vender stretched back, yawning against the brilliant staircase.

            “Fine,” he exhaled sharply, peeking up at Sousuke. “You can repay me.”

            Sousuke frowned. “I never asked for the balloons, you know,” he grumbled, turning away, even _more_ annoyed with Nitori, the ballons, the situation. “And, I don’t have the cash to pay for all this.”

            “I know, I figured,” Nitori dismissed. “I was thinking something else?”

            Sousuke hesitated before taking the bait. “…What did you have in mind?”

            “You run It’s A Small World, right?”

            “Sometimes.”

            “But, you’ve got the keys and stuff? To get inside?”

            The engineer nodded slowly.

            Folding his fingers over his knees, Nitori smiled, and it made the engineer want to squirm. “So take me on it?”

            “Take you on the ride?” It seemed like such an unfair trade, even to Sousuke, who suddenly decided he didn’t want to spend much more time with this strange employee than he needed to.

            “Yeah, after-hours.” There was a mischievous glint in Nitori’s blue eyes, the beauty mark on his cheek dancing as he squinted at Sousuke. “I’ve never been on it before, so you should take me on it, and we can call it even.” With pink cheeks, he tacked on, “Since you’re _so_ bent on getting even.”

            Sousuke mulled the idea over in his head, fingers absently tangling and untangling in the balloon’s string. The ride wasn’t longer than eight minutes, tops. He could spare that much time if it meant getting the balloon man off his back and out of his mind.  

            “Fine.” He nodded curtly, holding out his hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

            Nitori giggled at the absurdity of their bargain, his small hand slipping around Sousuke’s, smooth skin against practiced callouses.

            Shaking, the balloon vendor nodded, too. “Deal.”

            With a sudden energy, Nitori leapt to his feet, twirling around to salute Sousuke as he made down the stairs. “Enjoy that balloon, young man!” he shouted, a few nearby families turning at the sudden commotion. “Who knows when you’ll get another!”

            Sousuke did nothing in return, body temperature rising at the strange looks and small giggles that were being directed his way.

            Shaking his head, he stared at the sandwich in his lap, then the balloon hovering overhead.

            He only had to take the pest on a ride once. That was all.

            He could handle that.

            With a sigh, he let the balloon go, watching until the red cellophane disappeared into the endless blue sky.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke fulfills his deal with Nitori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY \\(^ __ ^)/   
> We wanted to make sure to post a chapter today in celebration of the holiday and Soutori's (budding) love. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, as well today. ~Laina

Footsteps echoed in the empty streets of Fantasyland, a small figure following closely behind Sousuke, taking care to not lose the man in the dark. 

It was well after closing time, the parade and its crowd come and gone, scattered popcorn cornels and water bottles the only testament that anyone had been there. 

Nitori held tight to the strap of his bag as Sousuke led him down the cobblestone, watching as the tall man came to a halt outside of a long, fake palace, the colorful facade washed with the faint glow of the far away security lights. Above their heads, a group of people smiled brightly down at him from a painted boat, the words, "IT'S A SMALL WORLD" etched across the banner. 

_Just one go, eight minutes, that’s all_ , the engineer told himself.

"Here it is," Sousuke announced. He turned, raising his eyebrows at the balloon vender. "Ready to go?"

Nitori nodded excitedly. "Yeah."

The balloon man nearly gasped as Sousuke suddenly threw his weight over the turnstile, landing easily on the other side and extending a hand for him to take. With a small giggle, Nitori took it, allowing himself to be helped over the entrance.

"Why the jumping—?”

“We don’t want to trip the alarm or anything,” Sousuke interrupted. “We’re… not exactly _supposed_ to be here.” Sousuke traipsed up a ramp, clearing a security bar before fiddling with an electric box on the wall. 

"Where do you want me to go?" Nitori giggled, voice echoing in the vast, dark room.

"There." He absently pointed to a spot on a balcony, just beyond where the outside lights could reach. 

With the heavy flip of a switch, the room was illuminated, allowing the vendor to see the concrete ramps and a little river below them. A massive white castle sat before him, with golden and navy accents, and a happy little clock face swaying and smiling in his direction. Every light that lined the castle peaks danced in his eyes as he gripped the railing tightly, drinking in every detail. 

"Sousuke, it's amazing...."

"Come on," Sousuke's voice distracted, the engineer already heading down the ramp, hands deep in his pockets. "You haven't seen the half of it."

Nitori nodded, blowing past the older man, little footsteps echoing excitedly, causing Sousuke to chuckle quietly to himself. The little vender zigzagged through the empty lines, little bouts of laughter escaping him whenever he cast a look over his shoulder at the engineer. 

"Hurry up!" he shouted once he had reached the gated docks, the boats rocking expectantly, eagerly awaiting new passengers.

Very slowly and half-heartedly, Sousuke began to jog after Nitori, halting at another panel once he caught up. With the flick of a switch, the gates hissed, opening themselves up to Nitori, who stepped into the wobbly pink plastic boat without a second thought. 

And he turned, blinking up at Sousuke, eyes bright, lips pulled into a small, ecstatic smile. 

Sousuke's fingers danced over the pad of buttons, the engine thrumming to life, machinery groaning slightly as the heart of the ride began to beat, faint singing and music drifting into the cavernous room. The boat rocked with one more push of a button before it heaved ahead, skimming through the lazy river with only a single passenger.

The smile quickly faded from Nitori's face, the boy twisting in his seat to cast a confused look at Sousuke. 

"Sousuke?" He stood suddenly, the boast shifting under his feet. "A-aren't you coming?"

He hadn’t really thought it through, honestly. He’d assumed he’d be the one to man the ride while Nitori rode it…what? _Alone_?

Shaking his head, he stammered, "Oh, y-yeah." The engineer padded down the dock, leaping into the boat, the whole thing shaking and rocking, their bodies being tossed to and fro. 

Sousuke plopped dumbly onto the plastic bench, his breath knocked from his lungs as something heavy fell into him. Nitori gasped in surprise, nervous, incoherent noises pouring out of him. The balloon man attempted to scramble away from Sousuke, get back onto his feet, the boat only rocking angrily under them as he moved, spitting him back into Sousuke's lap with a shriek.

His unsure words trailed off, hands resting on Sousuke's chest, face flushed with color. The engineer's hands held tight to Nitori's hips; his original intent had been to hold the boy steady, but he suddenly found it almost impossible to move them.

Nitori's fingers flexed nervously over his sweatshirt, Sousuke's breath hitching in his throat as he stared at the younger man, dumbstruck.

Nitori rolled his lips, his soft laughter mixing with the Small World tune, a soft, "Sorry," falling out of him as he pulled himself out of the engineer's lap. He settled happily beside Sousuke, hands clasped in his lap, eyes dancing over the entrance anxiously.

"No...no problem," Sousuke breathed, turning his head away. "Just, uh, make sure to keep your arms and legs in the ride, alright?"

Sousuke winced at his own lame line.  _Christ_. What was that anyway? It wasn't like this weird kid warranted any kind of suave one-liners or impressive anythings (not that what he had just said was impressive in the least). Sousuke was just doing this to repay him for the fortune he'd been given in balloons. That was all. 

Nitori giggled at what the engineer had spat out, nodding distractedly as the doors to the ride opened before them.

_...maybe he is...sort of cute._   _I guess…_.

Suddenly the music was swelling, the bright entrance lights fading into the ride itself, and beside him, he heard Nitori gasp quietly, mouth hanging open as the Small World danced around him. Little animatronic children swirled and clapped and sang, beautiful patterns native to Scandinavia and France surrounded them, along with can-can dancers and fair skiing children and snowy mountains. 

He chuckled when he spotted children floating overhead, dangling from clumps of fake balloons.

"You work this ride everyday?" he asked Sousuke suddenly, a little breathless.

"Not everyday. I'm usually out fixing stuff, I guess." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "But this place breaks down a lot, so I end up spending time here anyway. Most of this stuff is original, so it takes a bit longer to fix."

"Don't you ever get...I don't know, kind of freaked out by the animatronics?"

Sousuke shook his head. "No." With a little glint in his eyes, he added, "Why? Are you?"

Nitori shook his head insistently. "No, no! But my roommate is  _terrified_. He won't step foot near this place unless he has to."

The engineer smiled, turning his eyes out on the beautiful, colorful display. A cartoonish Italy was splayed before him, a Venician boy in a gondola smiling brightly at the two. 

"I guess, at night, it can get a little...creepy. Only sometimes."

" _Right_ ," Nitori teased. "Only sometimes."

"I'd like to see  _you_ spend hours alone with these things," Sousuke retorted challengingly. "And with that song playing over and over and  _over_ again." His head rocked tauntingly as he talked along monotonously, "It's a small world after all,  _qué pequeño es_ blah blah blah."

The balloon vender laughed. "That sounds awful."

Sousuke hunkered back into the seat some more, staring up at the ceiling. "It isn't that bad." Under his breath he added, "I just wish it didn't break down so often."

"I mean, I can see  _why_ it's so finicky; this place is almost as old as my car."

"If your car's as old as this thing, it's a miracle it's still running," Sousuke huffed. 

"Yeah, well, it barely does that much, so." Nitori smirked at the thought of his own junker car, parked far in the depths of the parking lot, rusting and waiting for him to return. 

A lull in conversation fell over them, children singings in Chinese filing the space between them.

Sousuke fidgeted a bit, feeling like he ought to be the one to fill that silence.

"So, balloons, huh?"

"Hm? O-oh, yeah," Nitori laughed nervously, eyes examining the details on the outfits of the nearby dancers. 

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Sousuke shrugged. "Why balloons, I guess. That's pretty…." He shook his head, careful not to say something accidentally mean. "I mean...it's not like people get out of school and decide to pursue a career in...balloons."

Nitori laughed, sighing dreamily. "Yeah...well. I've got a few bigger dreams, but...." He shrugged, keeping it at that. 

"Like what?"

Nitori shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips. "Uh-uh. Can't jinx it."

Sousuke chuckled. "Fine, fine."

Nitori sighed quietly, settling back to watch the worldly display before him.

Sousuke's eyes roamed over the careful slope of his face, the dim and colored lights painting and shading him in the most interesting way, lights bouncing curiously off his grey hair. His lips quirked at something Sousuke couldn't bring himself to pay attention to, nor could Sousuke help the way his heart began to flutter a little quicker in his chest at the sight of the boy's entranced smile.

"Hey...Sousuke—it _is_ Sousuke, right?"

The engineer quickly averted his eyes, occupying himself with a troupe of drummers and a lazy hippo in the water. "Yeah."

"I’ve meaning to ask you...what do you do with the balloons I give you?"

Sousuke's eyebrows rose at the question, the boy looking up at him, innocent face expecting an honest answer.

"I don't know. Sometimes I'll leave them places, like at the entrances of rides and stuff." He shifted uneasily, unsure of what kind of answer the vender was looking for. "Or I'll let them go." Very quickly, and a little embarrassed, he tacked on, "I've taken a couple home, though."

Nitori merely laughed, hand covering his smile, his little nose wrinkling. "Well, at least you--."

The music suddenly swelled, drowning out the man's voice, his attention drawn to the room they were sailing into. The walls were a faint green, and everyone was dressed in white, animatronics from all walks of life dancing and swinging and playing and singing together harmoniously. The hundreds of twinkling lights illuminated the two of them, their glow catching on the water and Nitori's eyes. 

Sousuke suppressed a grin as Nitori's mouth moved, words of praise tumbling out, but falling deaf among the children's song.

And just as the ride had begun, it was over, the boat careening into a tunnel full of foreign farewells before spitting them back into the dock.

Sousuke and Nitori followed up the ramp lethargically, the ride exciting them but ultimately lulling them into something comfortable, something Sousuke hadn't felt in what seemed like a long time.

The engineer helped his friend over the turnstile once more, following the giggling vendor into the warm summer night.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Sousuke dismissed, hands digging into his pockets. "You’re not really that hard to lift anywa--."

"No, I mean...well, thanks for that, but...." Nitori smiled up at the engineer tiredly. "Thanks. For taking me."

Sousuke shook his head, eyes turning to look down the empty walkway. "Well...you gave me a hundred balloons or something, so...."

The vendor laughed once more as they walked towards the parking lot together, the thick summer air doing nothing to help the heat in the engineer's cheeks.  


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke hasn't seen Nitori in a while...and the reason why shocks him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter is a bit long but I'm excited to say things are really starting to pick up~ but with that comes a lot more involvement in the Disney universe. With that in mind I'd like to give you a guide to our Disney AU! Here's a link to a map of the Magic Kingdom to help you understand the layout of this story better. Please note that the section labeled 'Toontown' is now just more Fantasyland.   
> http://www.plan-a-magical-vacation.com/images/Magic-Kingdom-Map.jpg
> 
> Here's a glossary of some Disney terms you'll be seeing in the story:
> 
> *Main Street USA- A 'street' in the Magic Kingdom all the parades walk down (theres one in the afternoon and one at night)  
> *Face character- actors who play the costumed characters  
> *Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's A Small World- three oldest rides at Disney World, they break down all the time. Peter Pan and Small World are across from each other but Pirates is across the park.   
> *Cast member- all Disney employees, even the janitors, cashiers, and engineers, are called cast members  
> *Snow Prince- the prince that appears in Snow White is unnamed, but around Walt Disney World he's usually called the Snow Prince. Yes he has brown hair...but silver hair definitely matches the Snow Prince aesthetic ;)  
> *Backstage Disney- the nickname for the employee building at Disney World. It's not actually very close to the park, its tucked away so the visitors don't see it and it has its own employee parking lot.  
> *Walt Disney World vs Disneyland- Our location is set in Disney World which is in Orlando, Florida. It has Cinderella's Castle at the center and is comprised of several different 'Worlds' including Fantasyland (Small World is in there) Adventureland (Pirates is in there) etc... Disneyland is in California, it has Sleeping Beauty's castle at its center, and it is not involved in this story at all. Please don't get confused!
> 
> If there's something I missed or you're still feeling lost on something please leave a comment and I'll get back to you right away! I feel like most of this stuff is pretty straightforward but I just want to be sure no one gets lost in all the dumb Disney jargin. :p With that in mind please know we have never worked at Disney so we are kind of making some of this up- because um, thats not the point! Lets get to the Soutori already~! Please enjoy! -Pallais

     Sousuke had a lot on his mind. It was a heat wave and the rides were constantly breaking down, sending the engineer scrambling to keep his bosses and park goers- all irritable in the stuffy heat- content. He couldn’t pick a time of day he hated more: when he was hurrying across the park in the sweltering heat through the crowds of people or when he was crawling underneath steaming engines or dusty control pads, trying to figure out why the damn pirates wouldn’t budge in their steel tracks.

     His lunch breaks were filled with crackling radio voices calling him away- never to a ride close by, it always had to be across the park- and by the end of the day he always felt completely exhausted. The abandoned popsicles melting away on the concrete amongst the teeming crowds never felt more relatable.

     Midsummer always brought on a season like this and it certainly wasn’t Sousuke’s first but it didn’t make the experience any easier to bear; the days dragged on as if in slow motion, the week all melted together in a sticky, irritable blur with nothing interesting to break up his time.

     Each of the many times Sousuke worked his way across the park throughout the day he would skim his eyes through the crowds, finding the towering bunches of balloons and following their strings down to their owners, gaze always drawn towards the pinstriped employee shirts when he was in the crowds- but the one he was looking for was never there.

     It was over two weeks since he had last seen Nitori. Their interactions seemed to be over- he had paid back his debt in balloons and they had departed from each other on content terms- and he was fine with that, happy to return to his uninterrupted daily routine… but now something didn’t sit right with him. Where was he? They clearly had similar schedules to have been running into each other so often before, so now- had the balloon man been moved to a different time? Had he been out this long for some reason- a sickness, an injury? Sousuke was spending more time out on the concrete and seeing much more of the park than usual but even so he never got a glimpse of the balloon man.

     The entire situation was just bizarre: maybe he didn’t want Nitori annoying him or making him feel guilty about all the free balloons anymore but it’s not like he never wanted to see him again, he wasn’t a monster, he wouldn’t have minded the occasional nod or conversation in passing.

     He didn’t mean to be paying the balloon vender so much mind but this heat wave had him desperate for anything else to think about and something about Nitori’s disappearance had Sousuke feeling dissatisfied, almost frustrated- he had put some amount of effort, if just a tiny fraction, into being friendly with another human being for once in at least a handful of years but now it was like it hadn’t even happened at all, and he didn’t like that.

     “Peter Pan’s in the dark Yamazaki, I need you to head over and fix the fuses.”

     Sousuke cursed under his breath as the radio clipped to his hip crackled to life, barking a quick ‘roger’ into the mouth piece before starting across the park towards Peter Pan’s Flight. He had just finished getting the Pirate’s Of the Caribbean ride up and running so it was going to be a long trek up to Fantasyland, the engineer wiping the sweat from his forehead with a sigh and wondering how much longer it was until his shift was over. The sun was still high in the sky and beating down on the park so he knew it had to be hours but he tried not to think about it. He made his way past the castle, peering at the roping employees were beginning to set up along Main Street USA in anticipation of the parade, thinking to himself that may be a good time to take his lunch break and thoughts trailing towards the no doubt soggy sandwich awaiting him.

     “Hello, young man!”

     A cheery vibrato broke through Sousuke’s thoughts and made him freeze in his tracks, peering around the crowd in surprise. The voice was far off, it hadn’t been speaking to him, but it had been once- it was familiar. He scanned his surroundings: the pathway wasn’t particularly busy, wedged between Cinderella’s Castle and Fantasyland, no trees to offer shade so park goers didn’t linger, but there was a small crowd gathered to one side. Sousuke followed the line of people with his eyes, looking for what they were looking at, until finally he noticed the character at the front of the crowd kneeling with a young boy. He was dressed elaborately in rich reds and blues, a velvet cape draped around his shoulders and silver detailing conveying his royal status- a prince. He was chatting with the young boy, too far for Sousuke to hear, but voice chipper and definitely _familiar._

     “Oh are you here to escort the Snow Prince to the parade?”

     A woman standing at the end of the line in the same shirt he was wearing was asking Sousuke, looking between him and her watch in confusion.

_Snow Prince._

     Sousuke stared right past the woman at the prince who was rising to his feet, a hand on the boy’s shoulder as he turned to face the man about to take their picture- a radiant smile was on his face, confident, princely, Cinderella-blue eyes sparkling as he posed for the camera. The engineer was dumbstruck as he stared at the somehow familiar and completely unfamiliar figure before him, feeling like he was seeing him for the first time, everything clicking into place in his head:

     Nitori was the Snow Prince.

* * *

 

                The rest of the day went by in a blur, Sousuke spending every moment he could mulling over what he had seen. It all seemed pretty obvious now: he hadn’t seen the balloon vendor at all those past few weeks because Nitori wasn’t a ‘balloon man’ anymore- he was a face character now, the ‘Snow Prince,’ Snow White’s savior. Something about it made the engineer smile to himself; it just seemed like a really good match for him, the perfect outlet for his seemingly bottomless energy. It explained too why Nitori had been so dodgy when asked about his work: he must have already auditioned and maybe even was already training but didn’t want to jinx it by telling Sousuke until he actually started the job. To be so superstitious... Nitori was just a strange guy.

                Sousuke almost laughed as he nudged the strap of his bag higher up on his shoulder, wondering if being more superstitious would help keep the rides in repair for more than a few hours. At this point he was willing to try anything.

                The engineer pushed through the doors of Backstage Disney out into the night, the air finally beginning to cool now that the sun had dipped below the horizon. There was a steady stream of fellow employees working their way out of the nondescript concrete building nicknamed ‘Backstage Disney,’ appropriately titled for the way it was designated to be a place to decompress between the park and their cars- cast members changed out of their elaborate outfits, mechanics like Sousuke locked up their tools, everyone was stripped of their magic, picked up their belongings from their lockers, and returned to their lives outside the Happiest Place on Earth.

                Sousuke followed the flow of employees out into the parking lot with hands shoved deep in his pockets, noticing somewhat grumpily that he was surrounded by actors, his last repairs having held him late enough to be leaving with the crowd he usually beat by at least a few minutes. He could tell the teenager ahead of him was a princess solely by the amount of glitter she was drenched in, the man falling into step beside him seeming built enough to maybe be Gaston- he couldn’t name many characters but he didn’t picture the princes to be quite so beefy….

                The engineer paused in his tracks suddenly. If the characters were all coming out now was Nitori amongst them? He turned back toward the concrete building and peered through the crowd curiously. He wasn’t sure what he was doing- even if Sousuke found him, what would he do then? Go talk to him? Is that really something he wanted to do? He turned back towards the parking lot, scanning the employees, eyes falling on petite shoulders in the distance. His feet hurried toward the figure of their own accord, working quickly through the crowd.

                “Nitori!”

                He grabbed the man by the wrist but quickly retracted it when the Snow Prince jumped and spun around, the engineer’s ears burning with embarrassment at his actions.

                “Oh, ah- Sousuke!”

                The young man seemed really surprised to see the engineer but he flashed a friendly smile, Sousuke gulping as he remembered the Snow Prince he had seen earlier.

                “I, uh-…”

                He rubbed the back of his neck, working really hard to seem casual after his overenthusiastic greeting.

                “I saw you today- I mean I was passing by, and I saw- well, you’re the snow prince now.”

                Nitori, who had pulled his eyebrows together as he tried to understand the older man’s sputtering, finally laughed.

                “Yup, I’m the Snow Prince now! Surprise!”

                He was beaming, clearly ecstatic with his new position, and the engineer couldn’t resist offering a small smile in return.

                “It’s a good fit for you.”

                Nitori blushed.

                “T-thank you!”

                Sousuke peered down at the energetic man, lifting an eyebrow at his bottomless cheeriness. In their time apart he wondered if he had exaggerated in his mind the way he remembered Nitori but being with him now confirmed it all: Nitori was just a cheerful guy. At first he had found it pretty annoying but now that they had spoken a few times Sousuke could tell he was being genuine and that was something he couldn’t resent- even if he didn’t get it. His eyes brushed over the rosiness of the Snow Prince’s cheeks, his ears beginning to match the longer they peered at each other.

                Suddenly a car honked a few feet away and Nitori jumped as if ripped from whatever train of thought he was having, squinting over at the worn looking prius and seeming to recognize the driver waving at him.

                “Do you carpool?”

                Sousuke asked curiously. He could have sworn the Snow Prince had mentioned having a car….

                “Well, my car is in the shop for the week so for now I do…”

                Nitori sighed, pulling his bag higher up on his shoulder.

                “I just feel bad because my friend gets off work like an hour before I do so he’s been waiting- I better go…”

                “Hey, if you want,” Sousuke couldn’t believe what he was saying but it was like the little frown on the younger man’s face had activated something in him, like he couldn’t control what was coming out of his mouth, “You can ride with me for the week, since we get off at the same time…”

                A wide smile spread across the Snow Prince’s face and sparking a kind of heat in the pit of the engineer’s stomach, who was kicking himself for having said something so stupid- but it was too late now.

                “Really, could you do that? It would really be a life saver, Sousuke!”

                He felt like he was melting, the heat from the day suddenly back with full force. He had finally been free of interaction but now he had thrust himself back into the cheery-to-the-point-of-obnoxious life of the Snow Prince. Why? What about this guy kept drawing him in?

                “Here.”

                Nitori was fishing through his bag before pulling out a pen and taking Sousuke’s hand, palm up. The engineer’s ears were burning as his hand was taken up by the pair of smaller, clammier ones, unsure what the weirdo could possibly be up to until he began to write on the calloused skin.

                “Here’s my number- text me and we can work everything out, okay?”

                Sousuke nodded weakly, flexing his hand gingerly, wondering if he had written on his hand even once since maybe early high school. Just this morning he had been wondering if he would ever run into Nitori again and now he had his number? Now he would be driving him around for the week? Why had he gotten himself into this mess?

                “Okay, I better go- see you, Sousuke!”

                Nitori was smiling, waving, turning, leaving- and Sousuke watched him go, feeling dizzy, palm stinging from the digits inked in his skin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke gives Nitori a ride home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends.... you're gonna like this one. c: Don't worry, we still have a looooong way to go- but finally things are picking up~ Enjoy! ~Pallais

                “Thanks again for the ride- the part my mechanic needs should come in on Wednesday, so it’s only for a few days…”

                Nitori was looking down at his feet as he walked beside his counterpart, voice unsure. He clearly had changed hastily to meet Sousuke, who got off work at least 15 minutes earlier than the Snow Prince usually did, and was clad now in the navy spandex tights he wore with his costume and an oversized t shirt, hair messy from the hat he had worn all day and face glowing from just being washed of its heavy makeup. The dark haired man peered down at him, replying simply,

                “I don’t mind.”

                Nitori lifted his head to flash a smile that Sousuke had to look away from for fear of blushing. Something about tonight seemed... different. Or more…. Nitori seemed different. Or rather… the way Nitori seemed to Sousuke was… different. The engineer was definitely feeling confused. Maybe it was the idea of how much time they would be spending together now but it was like Sousuke was just really paying attention to the younger man for the first time.

                For example, the way Nitori was smiling now, pacified so easily by Sousuke’s words after clearly feeling nervous… The way the younger man would easily and unapologetically switch between such strong feelings- expressing happiness and nervousness and sadness and excitement sometimes all within the same breath- it was interesting to Sousuke, somewhat overwhelming to Sousuke, who had to work much harder to truly express even one strong feeling. It felt strange having such power over the young man, being able to make him so genuinely happy or sad or anything else with just one sentence. He wondered if this power was the source of Nitori’s allure: he _liked_ this power, he _liked_ that smile, and he liked being the one to make that smile happen... but that was a weird thing to be thinking….

“It’s so humid…”

Sousuke was pulled from his knotted thoughts as Nitori turned to him, making a face.

“Don’t you hate how sticky it is?”

He rubbed his neck, feeling distracted.

“I suppose….”

“Well I feel gross. I’m still in my snow prince clothes…”

Nitori commented as they approached the car, Sousuke eyeing the lines of his tight clothing before crossing around to the driver side.

“I think I’m gonna change in the back seat, is that okay?”

Sousuke froze with his hand on the door handle, gulping.

“That’s fine.”

                He finally muttered, half as a reminder to himself. Why wouldn’t it be fine? As Sousuke got in and started the car, waiting for Nitori to settle in the back seat, he began to suspect he was in way over his head. He was nervous to label these strange feelings prematurely but as Nitori began to pull off his shirt in the rear view mirror Sousuke could feel his body heat rising and suddenly had a feeling he knew exactly what this was.

                He listened to the younger man rolling around in the back seat, panting, laughing at himself, the window becoming a bit foggy. Sousuke turned up the AC, angling the vent to blow on his pink cheeks and tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He fixated his gaze on the yellow lines of the road, shoulders tense.

‘Don’t look at him he trusts you don’t look at him don’t look don’t look-‘

                His eyes flicked for just a moment to the rear view mirror, glimpsing dark spandex being pulled down to reveal the creamy skin of upper thigh. Sousuke jolted, the car swerving slightly and hurling Nitori into the window.

                Sousuke cursed, pulling into an empty lot and throwing the car into park. He was kicking himself internally, climbing out of the car and rushing around to fling open the back door.

“Nitori!”

                The younger man was sprawled across the bench seat in a pair of boxers and white tank top, rubbing his forehead and giggling.

“I’m fine Sousuke, you didn’t have to pull over…”

                He sat up and crawled closer, kneeling in the doorway to offer the older man a dizzy smile. Sousuke blinked down into the sparkling blue eyes, his stomach doing summersaults, his ears burning. His head was warning him to look away before the blush spread to his cheeks but he found himself fixated by the Snow Prince’s gaze. He gulped, body seeming to move of its own accord as he leaned down so they were both eye level. His head was spinning, he didn’t know what he was doing, but suddenly, it felt like it had to be done. Nitori blinked at him questioningly, cheeks still pink from laughter, and Sousuke steeled himself the way one would before leaping into cold water and finally leaned forward to capture the younger’s lips.

                Nitori’s eyes widened but he accepted the kiss, leaning into his counterpart’s lips. Sousuke surged forward into the car, positioning himself above the younger, holding him to the kiss with a hand to the jaw. Thin arms came up and snaked themselves around Sousuke’s neck, Nitori pulling himself closer, kissing the man deeply. Sousuke stroked the younger’s cheek with his thumb as he kissed him, pressing closer and closer until Nitori felt his back press against the foggy glass. The Snow Prince opened his lips to the older man, tiny sighs escaping between them. He began to press forward, smiling against Sousuke’s lips, crawling into his lap and running his fingers through dark hair.

                Suddenly though Nitori whimpered slightly and pulled away, face inches from Sousuke’s own as he panted out,

                “I’m sorry-…”

                Sousuke felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and he slowly lowered his arms from around Nitori, heart beat ringing in his ears- what was he _doing?_ What was he _thinking_ , just diving in like that? Cornering Nitori in the backseat of his car? Kissing him without even asking? He felt better- finally all these strange and confusing feelings had an outlet- but at what cost?

                “What’s wrong?”

                The dark haired man breathed, the knot in his throat already knowing the answer. Nitori shivered, peeking up at Sousuke through his long lashes.

                “I’m really cold- I don’t have any clothes on…”

                He giggled nervously, rubbing one of his bare arms. Sousuke’s relief was hardly felt before he was overcome with embarrassment, face burning up as he quickly pulled back, suddenly hyper aware of the naked man in his lap.

                “R-right, I’ll just-“

                He stumbled backwards out of the car and closed the door before gulping a deep breath of air, head spinning. So Nitori was fine with him kissing him? He had thought it was all over when Nitori had pulled away, that the Snow Prince wasn’t feeling the same way, and he had wanted to just melt away rather than face that realization- but in actuality Nitori was just… cold? He hadn’t overstepped his boundaries?

                Suddenly, without warning, Sousuke could feel laughter bubbling up in his throat. This was just such a ridiculous situation- how could he have guessed he’d end up making out with the weird balloon man in the back of his car? He braced a hand on the car and doubled over, laughing deeply. Nitori appeared in the window looking surprised and confused but Sousuke could only shake his head as he laughed, unable for the first time to hold back his honest happiness. He wasn’t sure what was going on, he wasn’t sure if he’d regret it, but for this moment- that was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like for steamy car makeouts ignore for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that dont have enough jelly


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori's sick and Sousuke's nervous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! sorry it's been so long--it was totally my bad, i totally dropped the ball and fell into an awful combination of lazy and busy unu  
> but i hope you guys are willing to stick around! enjoy! ~Laina

Sousuke's fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel, eyes flicking from the dashboard to the the house beyond the bug-speckled windshield. 

He felt wired, like he couldn't sit still, couldn't breath right. He'd been here a million times, parked out on the curb before this inexpensive little building, the crooked flower boxes and uneven driveway occupied by a junked ancient automobile. Well... _a million_ was kind of a stretch--probably eight or so times. Never inside though. No, he'd never even made it up to the front door. He never had to. 

Nitori would always ask him to park at the curb before leaning into Sousuke's lips, and then fixing his hair in the passenger side mirror, and then disappearing into the tiny home. It was routine. 

But that routine had been broken, Sousuke hadn't seen the fair Snow Prince at work for the past three days. The first time, he'd assumed they just had been in different places at different times, or maybe he had gotten caught up with some friends and didn't need a ride home--he tried to ignore the disappointment settled in his gut at the prospect of going a night without making out in his own backseat, and failed miserably. 

The second time--well, he could take a hint. Maybe he'd done something to scare Nitori off. Maybe Nitori had been the one to decide things had gone on too long, and decided to break things off clean. The idea kind of pissed him off. While watering the plants and sipping at a sour beer, he pouted. He was an  _adult_ , after all; he could handle being told he wasn't wanted anymore. Even just a short ' _I don't want to do this anymore_ ' text would have sufficed.

It was on the third day, when he was pulling into his parking space, adjusting the horrid red tie at his neck, that his phone went off, a message from Nitori. He tried not to get excited. There was no reason to be excited, anyways--it was probably the end-of-all-things text he'd been waiting for anyways. If anything, he was excited only for the relief of it finally being settled, a concrete answer to wondering if something had gone wrong. 

He was already beginning to sink into his loner disposition, a comfy, dark pit carved out for himself, by himself, when he opened the message.

' _I'm so sorry! I meant to text you, im really sick :(  I kept falling asleep before I could send smth_..'

He didn't feel his lips turn up, a tiny smile, the almost unnoticeable relaxation in his shoulders. 

' _its okay_ ' and a quick ' _i hope your feeling better_ '

' _A little, yeah :) but i still cant come into work today_ ' 

Sousuke looked away from the phone, hearing the engines of nearby cars puttering, other employees pulling in to start their day. Another buzz brings him back, though, and he flushes.

' _I kinda miss you driving me home haha_ '

I kinda miss you driving me home haha. I kinda miss pulling into empty lots or backroad shoulders haha. I kinda miss being tugged into your lap haha. I kinda miss your mouth haha.

The engineer shook his head. He'd received those texts this morning, and he couldn't stop thinking about them. It had occurred while he'd been directing park goers up ramps into the bulbous Space Mountain ride, that he maybe missed Nitori, too. That's what had led him to the grocery store after work had let out, picking up a couple cans of chicken noodle soup, some saltines, and minty gum--just in case he was throwing up. The extent of Nitori's sickness was still undetermined.

He'd gone to Nitori's house under the guise of being concerned--which he was--but, there was more to it than that. He liked Nitori, or, at the very least, liked making out with him. And he liked his chipper attitude, despite what he'd first made of it. It was only after that infectious, bubbling laughter and the dramatic way Nitori would speak when he wanted to embarrass Sousuke was gone that he realized how quiet everything seemed without it. He wasn't sure what exactly he Nitori wanted from all this, but he knew what  _he_ wanted, and in the span of a day, his patience had worn, and he needed to know now.

If only he could work up the courage to get out of his stupid car. 

Maybe it was silly showing up like this. Maybe Nitori would be weirded out. Maybe it wasn't fair to ask him to label...whatever it was they'd been doing this past week in the backseat of his car while he wasn't feeling well. 

He groaned, resting his forehead on the steering wheel. "Shit...."

Fingers leaving the steering wheel, turning the ignition, the engine thrumming to life, and--

" _Hey!_ " 

He looked up quickly, eyes blown wide as he saw the front door of the building cracked open two young men standing in the opening, a third watching from the window. 

The shortest, a curly-haired blonde with a baseball bat slung over his petite shoulder, waved the bat in Sousuke's direction. "You better get the  _fuck_ off our lawn--"

"We're calling the police!" the man behind him, a fiery-haired boy with a babied face threatened. 

"You have five  _fucking seconds_ to  _leave_ ,  _now_ , or else my boyfriend's gonna beat the shit out of you!" the blonde barks, gesturing to the tallest in the window. Sousuke can tell through the glass that this supposedly threatening boyfriend has glasses, and if he weren't so mortified, he might laugh. 

 _It's not to late to get out of here, drive, drive, drive_.

As he's about to peel out of there and never dare brave that street again, he hears a strangled voice joining the threatened trio, his name being called from the doorway. He peeks up again, watching the door pull open all the way, the redhead and blond watching with narrowed eyes as Nitori, pajama clad and wrapped in a blanket, squints through the daylight from his porch. "Sousuke?" 

"Shit." 

He shakes his head, grabbing the grocery bag, wishing he could have gotten out of there when he had the chance. Turn the car off, hobble up the lawn, and he sees the blonde whispering animatedly to Nitori, brows furrowed at Sousuke when he comes into his periphery. But Nitori smiles, and Sousuke grins back, red trailing up to the tips of his ears as he hunches his shoulders, bashful and beyond embarrassed, holding the grocery bag up for him to see.

"Hey."

"H-hey," Nitori croaks, sniffling--his nose is red from being blown so much, and Sousuke can't help but find it endearing. Small hands wrap around the grocery bag, their fingers brushing and he smiles up at the engineer in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" 

"Uh, well...." He shifts, ignoring the incredulous stares he's getting from the other members of the house. "You said you were sick, so...." He gestures to the bag. "And, I know where you live, so I thought I'd just bring you...stuff...."

"Why do you know where Ai lives?" the blonde questions, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you some kind of stalker or something?"

"He's been driving me home," Nitori snaps back, though there's no bite, only a bit of mucus he has to clear away to sound normal again. He nods towards the door. "Um...well, do you wanna come in?" 

Sousuke chews the inside of his cheek, nodding.

The house isn't anything special or fancy--the living room and kitchen look like they belong to college students, a little cluttered and messy, but not really  _dirty_. Pictures line the walls, and he catches himself smiling at them as they file inside. One in particular of Nitori and the blonde, arms slung around each other, faces covered in sweat and a trophy shared between their hands, raises a few questions. 

"Guys," Nitori sniffles, shuffling into the kitchen to set everything aside for later, "this is Sousuke. He's been driving me home from work since the my car decided to stop running."

Sousuke nods, as if to back his story up, before extending a hand. "Nice to meet you," and it sounds lame even in his own ears, but for some reason, he finds this little troupe intimidating. Not because one's still wielding a bat, but because these people are clearly special and close to Nitori; he can't help but compare it to meeting someone's parents for the first time. 

"Momo Mikoshiba," the redhead introduced excitedly, shaking Sousuke's hand so fast and hard he thinks it might get torn off. "I can't believe  _your_ the guy who's been driving Nitori home all week! You're waaaay taller than I expected."

The man with the glasses who had watched from the window, shakes his hand next, offering a smile. "Rei." He's got this interesting blue tint to his hair, and, when he steps back, he squints at the blonde, elbowing him. "And this suspicious child is my boyfriend, Nagisa."

The blonde grins, holding a hand out, and when his and Sousuke's meet, it's like a vice, and pink eyes are narrowed in his direction. "Nagisa," as if Sousuke didn't hear Rei speak on his behalf. "You've been driving our baby home."

" _Nagisa,_ " Nitori scolds half-heartedly from the kitchen, shuffling in. 

"So, Sousuke, what do you do?"

"I, um, well I work at Disney--with Nitori--obviously, and--"

"So, do we," Nagisa interjects. 

"You do?"

"Nagisa dances in the parades," Nitori explains, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. "And Rei works in Epcot."

"What about you?" Sousuke asks of Momo, sounding possibly a little too accusatory, not that the redhead is in any way, shape, or form perturbed.  

"I work at Universal," he laughs, rolling his head to look at Nagisa. "Which is  _much_ better than Disney,  _thank you very much_."

"So, what do you  _do_ at Disney?" Nagisa asks again, turning things back to Sousuke, who fidgets. 

"I work the lines sometimes," he shrugs. "But--"

"He's head engineer, actually," Nitori interrupts, grinning sweetly up at Sousuke. "They just ask him to run the lines when nothing's needed."

"You'd think head engineer would always be doing  _engineer stuff_ , though, wouldn't you?" Nagisa wonders aloud.

"Well, I do my job  _well_ , so--" Sousuke can't help but grin, earning one back from Nagisa, and he notes the interesting glint in his eye. "When I fix things, they tend to stay fixed for a while."

"And, now," Nitori laughs through his congestion, hand slipping into Sousuke's to tug him down the hall. "I'm gonna take him away so you guys can stop interrogating him."

* * *

Nitori's room is cute. That's really the only way to describe it. Cute, small, and somehow so very him.

Oh, and messy.

Nitori guides Sousuke to his bed, made for one person and littered with a few pastel, plush stuffed animals. The desk is piled high with books and countless knick knacks, there's a laptop resting on the floor, surrounded by balled up tissues. Nitori grimaces, cheeks dusted with a pink not caused by illness. 

"Sorry," he apologizes quietly.

"Don't be, it's not  _that_ bad in here, plus you didn't know I was stopping by."

"No, I mean, like...sorry about them." Nitori wrinkles his red nose. "They're kinda...."

He can't come up with a word, but Sousuke laughs, a deep rumble in his chest, and shrugs. "It's...they're interesting, that's...for sure."

Nitori giggles, nodding, pulls the blanket around himself. A thought passes over his face, features contorting a moment before he looks away, fingers picking at a strand between them. "It's sweet that you brought me stuff. Thanks...."

"Don't mention it." He rests his hands on his knees, filling the potential silence with, "I honestly almost thought you were mad at me or something."

Nitori groans, a smile on his face as he buries the heels of his hands in his eyes. "I knew it, I'm sorry." He chuckles, looking up through tired lashes. "I really did mean to text you earlier."

"Mm, I'm sure," Sousuke teases, ruffling Nitori's locks as a sign that he's poking fun.

There's a moment of silence, the two staring at one another before Nitori breaks the eye contact, a thoughtful smile on his face as he pretending to be occupied by a stuffed duckling. If he weren't sick, Sousuke would probably tip his chin up and kiss him.

Hell, he might do it anyways.

But...

"Nitori," and the lack of confidence in his voice wipes the grin off those little lips in an instant. "I came here, um.... You being sick--that's not the only reason I came here."

"Okay...." Nitori cocks his head to the side, sniffling once, a sign to continue. 

"Right, um...." and suddenly Sousuke's remembering how bad he is with words, how there's a disconnect between what he thinks and what pours out of his mouth in broken, watered down sentences. "This...this  _thing_ we've been doing--"

"I like it."

"I do, too, but...what is it exactly?" 

The question hangs in the air, and Sousuke's holding his breath, waiting for an answer he didn't know he needed. 

Nitori rolls his lips, thinking, brows furrowing. "You mean, like...what are we? You and I?"

He's never needed a label, or thought about ever needing one before, but suddenly he craves one for the two of them, the question's seared into his head and he doesn't want to leave until he's got a sudden answer. A little breathless, he nods. "Yeah." 

Nitori fidgets, shrugging. "I...I don't know. I mean, I've had a lot of fun with you this past week...." and he leaves it at that. Nitori neglects to mention the fact that he's wondered about Sousuke almost every night since this started, or how excited he had been to see his car parked at the foot of their lawn. "I guess, it's whatever you want it to be."

"I'm not sure."  _Not sure what I was us to be_. 

Nitori nods. "Me neither."

There's a lull in conversation, a crossroads they've unintentionally been carried to, and Sousuke huffs, loud and short, pushing himself. He hasn't pushed himself in a long time, and for some reason, Nitori makes him want to try.

"What if we tried?" A hand runs through his hair, eyes resting on anything but Nitori's face, those eyes, and shit, when was the last time he was in a relationship anyways? "Like, what if we tried being...."

"Boyfriends." It's slow to fall from Nitori's tongue, but Sousuke's glad the Snow Prince was the one to say it. 

The engineer nods, once and short. 

A small, crooked grin graces Nitori's lips and he nods, slow and thoughtful. "Yeah...." He rests his hand over Sousuke's on the quilt, scooting a little closer. With a little more conviction, he laughs. "Let's try it?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh."

Sousuke grins, large and lopsided, fingers brushing slightly damp hair from Nitori's cheek. "So, uh...." His eyes trail down to those pink lips he's woke up sweating over. "I'm gonna kiss you now."

"Noooo," Nitori laughs, placing a hand over Sousuke's mouth, drawing back. "I'm sick, I'm gross, leave meeeee."

Sousuke chuckles, raising an eyebrow at this ex-balloon vendor. "I don't care."

"Oh, no?"

"Nope." Sousuke, pulls Nitori's hand from his mouth, leaning down and shutting his eyes. "I don't care."

"Okay," and there's a little disbelief in Nitori's voice. Sousuke nearly thinks the shorter boy is serious about no kisses, until he feels lips ghosting over his own, and he melts into the kiss, hands cupping the shorter's cheeks, a low hum seeping out between them.

Nitori laughs into the kiss, mumbling against Sousuke, "I'm gonna get you sick...."

"Good." Another kiss. "Maybe then I won't have to go into work." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys liked it! let us know in the comments section how you feel, or just wanna talk soutori ;D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori has to face his housemates eventually... How will they react when they hear the news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks,  
> I'm sorry this took so long! This was a tricky chapter to write; we have a few saved up now so in theory things should go a little more smoothly after the next chapter. Let me know what you think!  
> ~Pal

                Sousuke didn’t hang around long after they kissed, feeling emotionally drained and suspecting Nitori was more sick than he was letting and needed his rest; the snow prince spent several minutes practically begging the engineer to leave via his bedroom window before reluctantly leading him to the front door, offering a very brief goodbye before retreating immediately to his bedroom once more. He knew better than to face his roommates: they undoubtedly knew, somehow, what had happened between him and Sousuke- they probably had stood with their ears pressed to their door. Nitori wasn’t ready to face their questions, he didn’t want to make big deal out of this- he especially wanted to come to terms with it _himself_ first…

                He was so feverish he thought maybe he was simply dreaming, feeling as soon as Sousuke had left as thought maybe he had never been there in the first place. Feeling dizzy, and determined not to face his housemates, Nitori locked his door and crawled into bed, pressing his face into the cool of his pillow and letting it soothe him to sleep, thinking vaguely it reminded him of the cool lips that maybe had just pressed to his own.

                Nitori made it to noon the next day before finally having to emerge from his room, urged by his growling stomach and need for medicine, his runny nose nearly unbearable. Even so, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed as he wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and his fingers around the doorknob. He knew he couldn’t keep holed up in here forever but he kind of wished he could. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed of Sousuke or wanted to him a secret or anything like that- but… His housemates just had a tendency to be nosy.

                He thought back to the short interrogation Sousuke had already endured last night _before they were even dating_ and sighed, unsure what to even expect _now…_ He was a private person, or at least tried to be, and led an admittedly boring life: he hadn’t dated anyone since moving into the house, hadn’t really done _anything_ of interest besides becoming the Snow Prince… This was the first really juicy tidmit his roommates would have on him and it was concerning.

                Finally, steeling himself, Nitori emerged from his bedroom, padding across the hall into the bathroom and raiding the medicine cabinet, the sweet relief of Dayquil reassuring him that this really was for the best. He next headed down the hall to the kitchen, peering around suspiciously before pulling open the fridge. Maybe the others weren’t even home. Maybe he had been too harsh on them, maybe they weren’t as nosy as he had originally thought.

                “Hey, how you feeling?”

                Momo padded in from the living room, raising his eyebrows in surprise at the sight of his roommate. Nitori offered a sheepish smile, feeling a little guilty to be asked such a question after spending all morning thinking the worst of his housemates. Suddenly Nagisa leaned in the kitchen doorway, adding with a grin,

                “Yeah you didn’t have to go down on that guy last night did you, because that must be killer with a stuffy nose…”

There it is.

                “ _Nagisa._ ”

                A voice chided from the living room but Nitori was already groaning, feverish cheeks burning even more as Nagisa laughed.

                “I’m just joking around Ai, _geez_ … But really, let me know how that went, for science reasons-“

                “I didn’t-!”

                Nitori choked on his words, not about to scream about Sousuke’s-

                “Leave me alone.”

                He snapped finally, crossing his arms, trying to be firm.

                “So was he your boyfriend or something?”

                Momo asked more innocently, Nitori rewarding him with a simple,

                “Yes.”

                “Oooh~”

                Nagisa slinked over to lean against the counter beside the snow prince, grinning up at him with narrow eyes.

                “What was his name again~?”

                “…Sousuke…”

                Nitori squinted suspiciously down at his friend.

                “Yamazaki?”

                Rei called from the living room.

                “Yeah…”

                Nitori pulled his eyebrows together, confused how he knew such a detail.

                “Do you know him from work…?”

                The Snow Prince questioned, but Nagisa was off again, chattering over any answer his boyfriend might have provided.

                “Yeah so you met him at work? How long have you guys been together? He was the one who was giving you those rides home right, were you guys hooking up in his car is that why you were always so late??”

                Nagisa was, as always, incredibly blunt and right on the money. Nitori cleared his throat, feeling nervous.

                “It’s not a big deal, guys, we _just_ became official last night… please just be nice…”

                “I found him on Google!”

                Rei called and there was an audible gasp amongst the housemates, Momo and Nagisa scurrying into the living room before Nitori could stop them. The Snow Prince practically stomped into the room, groaning at the trio gathered around Rei’s laptop on the couch.

                “Guys…”

                “Wow look at all these articles…”

                “He was, like, a surfing star…?”

                “He won the state championship, look!”

                Nitori pursed his lips, shifting a bit. Sousuke was a surfer? At a competitive level?

                Actually… he didn’t know that much about Sousuke. He hadn’t ever thought to google him or anything like that. He was his boyfriend, but he didn’t know where he lived or how he spent his time or… anything…

                Nitori felt a little embarrassed. This definitely wasn’t like his typical past high school relationships, where you’d be best friends for a while before getting together. He wondered what exactly he was getting himself into…

                “Oh my gosh, there’s a video!”

                “Wait, let me see, move over-!”

                Nitori finally squeezed his way onto the couch, curiosity piqued, watching with wide eyes as a reporter introduced a younger looking Sousuke, dripping and smiling with a medal around his neck, then cutting to a shot of him zipping down a wave the size of their house.

                “Woah…”

                All four housemates breathed. For once they sat in silence as the  video played, finally tearing away to blink at each other once it came to an end. Nagisa was the first to speak.

                “We _have_ to have him surf for us.”

                Momo nodded along earnestly to Nagisa’s declaration.

                “Did you know Sousuke was a surfer, Nitori?”

                Rei was blinking at the Snow Prince, and he blushed.

                “Actually, he hadn’t mentioned…”

                He admitted sheepishly.

                “It seems as though he stopped after high school; these are all old.”

                Rei pointed out, scrolling through the search one last time before closing the tab.

                “I wonder why he stopped…”

                Momo mused, Nagisa nodding along.

                “Yeah, why is it some big secret? It might make it kinda hard to make him do it for us…”

                “You should invite him to the beach, Nitori.”

                Rei concluded, Momo adding,

                “Yeah, we can all go this weekend!”

                “I’m not going anywhere until I feel better.”

                Nitori said firmly, rising from the couch again and adjusting the blanket around his shoulders. All three looked disappointed at being shut down but couldn’t argue, Momo and Nagisa just whining a little as the Snow Prince shuffled out of the room. Maybe it was the fever but it felt like his head was spinning again, trying to make sense of this whole thing. It turned out he didn’t know much about his boyfriend. Why hadn’t he ever mentioned he was some kind of surfing celebrity? What else hadn’t he brought up yet? Although he hated the idea of them getting their way after bugging him so much, Nitori couldn’t help but feel curious about Sousuke the surfer. It was time to get some answers. It was time to go to the beach.

~~~

                He had gone to bed at least an hour ago but Sousuke found himself still staring up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. He had tried focusing on the buzzing of the air conditioner in the window, hoping the sound could lull him to sleep, but it ended up just making him realize how warm he was, now laying on top of his blankets.

                He couldn’t stop playing the evenings events over in his head, the flush of Nitori’s cheeks and the way he had smiled when they kissed making it impossible to close his eyes. He wasn’t sure if the fluttering in his stomach was excitement or nerves. Had he really asked Nitori out? Did he seriously have a boyfriend now?

…Had they moved too fast?

                Sousuke hadn’t ever been in a _real_ relationship before- not to say there was any proof that _this_ was real, yet. All they had done so far was make out in his car. He had had plenty of encounters with guys in the past who wanted a relationship until two weeks of hooking up later. He wondered if he would care if Nitori disappeared like them, too. Did he want this ‘thing’ they had going on to work out, or would he be over it in a few weeks too? It was hard to say. He had always been a loner, he reveled in his solitude, he hadn’t been _searching_ for any kind of relationship… but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy what he and Nitori had. He was okay with seeing where it lead, but he really didn’t want it to go where all the others had gone.

                Sousuke turned over on his side just in time to notice his phone light up, learning over to grab it off the nightstand, squinting at the sudden brightness of the screen.

                _hey i had an idea!_

                It was Nitori.

                _lets go to the beach this weekend- if im feeling better lol_

Sousuke eyed the emoji on the end of the message with mild amusement before setting his phone aside and curling up again. Something about Nitori felt different than the others. He wondered vaguely the last time he had someone to go to the beach with; the last time he hadn’t gone alone.

                Anyways, Nitori probably burned easily, and was likely the annoying type who would try to make him build a sand castle or buy him ice cream or something. He probably would get bored after only a few hours and whine to leave. Sousuke felt exhausted already just imagining the trip and it finally put him to sleep, the grumpy engineer drifting off dreaming about a day at the beach with his whiny, lobster red boyfriend.


End file.
